In a grand display of flag waving, chanting, and music not from the Islamic Religion, a few hundred Muslims and non-Muslims gathered in New York City today to march in the 28th annual “United American Muslim Day Parade”, blocking traffic in the busy city for nearly an hour in a flagrant violation of many basic Islamic teachings.

Islam teaches women to be modest and conceal their beauty, yet they were on display in large numbers during the parade. Not only were many women improperly dressed, many actually raised their voices chanting in the streets or took positions atop floats waving to seemingly uninterested pedestrians. (The parade did not draw much of a crowd.)

Islam teaches Muslims to praise and remember their Lord constantly throughout the day and night, in humbly concealed utterances of sincerity. Muslims – male or female – who raise their voices unnecessarily violate an important code of behavior in their Religion.

Islam teaches Muslims to respect public streets. In fact, one of the basic religious obligations of any Muslim when in the street is to give directions to anyone who is lost and earnestly try to help him reach his destination. Yet, in this parade of neglect for Islamic manners, busy New York streets were actually blocked off for about an hour and New Yorkers were actually hindered from getting to their destinations, in order to enable marching bands to beat their drums and blow their trumpets for the mixed groups of marchers and demonstrators, waving American, Iranian, Nation of Islam, and other flags and banners.

“Say NO to Wahabism Or Salafism”

One group called ASMA, the “American Sunni Muslim Alliance”, marched along with a large banner denouncing “Salafism” and “Wahabism”, whilst demanding a “birthday parade” for Islam’s Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace). The Religion of Islam does not endorse or sanction any birthday celebrations for any of the prophets in any way.

Get guided with YusufEstesQuran.com

Immediately behind the ASMA group came controversial American preacher Yusuf Estes and his GuideUS TV float, complete with a cordially waving Muslim woman up high on display.

Immediately following the GuideUS TV float and its monstrous advertisements for a wireless communication company (the largest ads of the parade), was another group of happy flag-wavers, including a woman with no hijab at all waving the Shiite Iranian flag, and an American man carrying the (so-called) “Nation of Islam” flag.

Floats in the Parade: Yusuf Estes and the Nation of Islam 2013

This last bit of misguided flag-waving marked the finale of the day’s debacle, and Muslims concerned about the image of Islam can breathe somewhat of a sigh of relief that this shameful disgrace in the name of our noble Religion is now behind us, at least for another year.

NOTE:Not only was Yusuf Estes a central attraction in the event, he advertised and broadcast it on GuideUS TV and his websites, like IslamNewsRoom.

What a disgrace ! I watched the parade on youtube [link removed] and it was like 10 or so groups of Muslims with the banners and flags. Most of the time the street was empty. It was such fail that the police started letting across traffic in between the huge gaps of nobody marching the parade. The people on the floats were waiving to no body ! Really, it seemed the only people on the sidewalks were those waiting for the parade to finish so they could cross over! Why would any muslims be involved in such stupid event anyway?

Important Clarification

Allah has referred to the Quran as a Book, which by definition is something written, in many Quranic passages. One example would be (what means): ( By the Mountain, and by a written Book (the Quran), written in pages of a book spread out ) [52:1-3]

The Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) said, what means, (( Do not travel with the Quran, since I can not guarantee that the enemies would not get a hold of it. )) [Muslim]

Quite obviously, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) was not referring to the Quran memorized in their hearts or the Quran in al-Lowh al-Mahfooth (the Preserved Tablet)! He was referring to the mus-haf, the written Quran, and he explicitly called it “the Quran”.

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, the second Caliph of the Muslims (may Allah be pleased with him), had no problem with this expression either, as it is narrated that he wrote to the governors in the various lands under his rule, following the best example, saying: “Do not travel with the Quran to enemy lands, since I fear that one of them might get a hold of it.”

Aboo Bakr As-Siddeeq, the first Caliph, placed Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with them both) in charge of compiling the scattered writings of the Quran into one mus-haf, as the era of Divine Revelation had just ended, and the Quran could not have been compiled into one book while it was still coming down.

Zayd said about the gravity of this task:“I swear by Allah, had they placed me in charge of moving a mountain, it would not have been more heavy than the task he ordered me with of compiling the Quran (into one mus-haf)!”

During that time and ever since, this event is referred to by the Muslim scholars as Jam’ al-Quran, or the compilation of the Quran (into one mus-haf).

‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan, the third Caliph (may Allah be pleased with him), said, “I do not like that a day and night pass except that I look at the Speech of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.” (meaning: reading the mus-haf)

‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, the fourth Caliph (may Allah be pleased with him), said, “May Allah have Mercy on Aboo Bakr, for he was the first one to gather the Quran between two book covers (i.e. in one mus-haf).”

‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him), was reported to have said, “Verily, this Quran in front of you is about to be snatched away from you!”

His student asked, “How could it be snatched away from us while Allah has made it firm in our hearts and we have recorded it precisely in our mus-hafs?!

He replied, "It (the Quran) shall be taken up in one night, and everything in the hearts shall be snatched away, and everything in the mus-hafs shall go, and the people shall become needy from it (the event). Then he recited, what means: ( And if We wanted we could take away that which We revealed to you ).”

‘Ikrimah ibn Abee Jahl, one of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with him), used to hold the mus-haf to his face, saying, “The Book of My Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, the Speech of My Lord, the Mighty and Majestic!”

Imam Abu Hanifah said

"The Quran is written in the mus-hafs, memorized in the hearts, and recited on the tongues."

Imam Ash-Shaafi’ee said

"What we recite from the Quran on our tongues, listen to with our ears,
and write in our mus-hafs is all called the Speech of Allah."

Imam Ahmad said

“You interact with the Quran in five ways: [1] memorizing it by heart, [2] reciting it on the tongue, [3] listening to it with the ear, [4] viewing it with the eye, and [5] writing it by hand.”

Imam Al-Bukhaaree said

"As for the Quran that is recited, written in the mus-hafs, written down and recorded (therein), understood in the hearts, then it is the Speech of Allah the Most High, not something created."